Shenmue III Gets Brand New Trailer as Campaign Closes on Five Million with Three Days Left

Today Ys Net released a brand new trailer of Shenmue III, showcasing Ryo and Shenhua under the starry sky.

[Rimeskeem]

There is no way they are going to make the whole game from 5 million.

[3-4-5]

They aren't just using $5 million.

where have you been ?

[Rimeskeem]

TBH not following the game too closely

[breakpad]

IMO the Unreal 4 engine is the worst engine they could use..very cheap option which seems to be a trend for new games and lazy Japan devs (Tekken , Street Fighter,KH,ectect)...the moonlight light is completely unnatural (lightnig is a common disadvantage of U4) and and all the models are stiff...i know is early in development ..but i m sure they cannot improve it a lot more at its release...if it ever be released

[pwnsause_returns]

You must be an expert on game development...

[Irishguy95]

The moon light? I assume you are referring to the yellow glow? I think you may have deactivated some of those brain cells buddy

[ryuuzakibjorn]

@breakpad - Actually, They have the source code so they can adapt it to their needs. If they needed, They could completely re-code the lighting (Which isn't the problem).

If you were an actual developer, You'd know that it's the post-processing effects applied to the camera, Not the actual lighting.

Edit: I watched it again and it's a mixture of post-processing on the camera and a Fresnel effect on the character materials.

And with Unreal Engine 4, You can even throw out the current lighting and use Nvidia's GI solution without changing any code.

And model stiffness has nothing to do with Unreal Engine 4 - Especially with the blendspaces / Real-time blending that you can do with it.

If you're going to to pretend your something you're not, At least get your facts straight.
And why is cheap bad? It's cheap up-front, But at 5% royalty, It's a fair deal (Unless they do a custom license agreement).

Troll harder :)

[fr0sty]

I added subtitles.

https://youtu.be/OiSJE9k8Zi...

[OC_MurphysLaw]

They are sitting at 55,500 actual backers which seems kind of low for this project given the actual amount of $ money pledged. I mean if kick starter gauges interest then # of backers probably can be used to mathematically calculate sales in some manner. Just seems like that number should be way higher.

[gamer7804]

They haven't announced Xbox or wiiu support so basically backers pc or ps4

[Ahmay]

I didn't contribute to the kickstarter. never played the games. but will buy the game.. :)

[SegaGamer]

The highest backed kickstarter project got just under 220,000 backers. 55,000 is pretty decent for Shenmue 3.

[SaveFerris]

The number of backers surprised me as well. Perhaps many fans would rather wait until the game is released?
I did initially think this was going to easily overtake the Kickstarter record that was set by Bloodstained, but the campaign didn't seem to be run as well in comparison and certain media sites were set on confusing and discouraging backers.

[SegaGamer]

@SaveFerris. I partially blame so called gaming journalists. From the beginning their has been a few who have been very negative towards this whole thing. They have tried to put people off pledging to this which is sad to see.

Gaming journalists once again prove that they are doing more harm to gaming than good.

[Ult iMate]

Shovel Knight had 15 000 backers. But then they sold 180 000 copies of the game during the first month. And that was before the game was even released on PS and Xbox.

[Xbonewone32015]

Shenmue is a very niche game.

The reason it seems bigger than it is, is because of the extremely vocal few who shouted about it.

The fact it doesn't have a dedicated backer and is reliant on kickstarter funds speaks volumes.

[rainslacker]

I'm one of them. I would have waited until it was done like many people would, but I know what Suzuki has gone through trying to get the series done over the years, so I felt compelled to help out since he is who he is.

I know after one day it was at 40K backers, which is pretty respectable, and overall, that's what the investors were looking for.

I think the game will do pretty well just because of all the hype surrounding it, particularly if Sega releases the first two remastered or something.

As far as extrapolating data, I couldn't say how they'd do it. If they see 55K people are willing to put up money a couple years in advance, then they must have their own formula for determining how that will translate to final sales. I know I made a thread a couple weeks ago making some assumptions on what the numbers could mean, but it was mostly just replying to someone trying to downplay the numbers.

[jay2]

They have funding from Sony and others as well, but with the rewards. not very much I mean 10 mill for an open word whys it not there in funding already, worrying we're not getting the game the devs want and we have to foot the bill, silly choice by sony who make games like driveclub should have just given then full backing anmd had something to show this year cause it all started early last yr. GDC 14.

[rainslacker]

10 million probably translated to getting more money from the investors, so it's not like they could just suddenly make the game open world for another 5 million. Although it may be possible, but would probably be pretty limited in scope. I think it was broken down what percentage of the KS money would go towards what. I think the rewards were in the 30% range, so ultimately, then there was KS cut, so ultimately, most of the development money is coming from other investors.

[_-EDMIX-_]

I see you've never really heard of Kickstarter before....

[Timesplitter14]

Everytime I see more stuff from this game, all I can think of is that it looks like the game's director hired his nephew for all the 3D modeling

[Dortizpjs]

https://youtu.be/z_AEDG4EAm...

[DevilOgreFish]

...They can always renew for crowdfunding or host it on their web page, don't know why they haven't thought of it. A couple creators are doing the same thing.

[DevilOgreFish]

they can also renew their crowdfunding page with a smaller goal to reach, to collect the rest if needs be.

[Abriael]

@DevilOgreFish (looks like I can't just reply): Yu Suzuki said they're considering it.

[DevilOgreFish]

Alright then, it would make sense for them. And yeah i know, it's the stupid "server error" thing. this site is becoming so jacked up, with jacked up ads, an internet checks and now this.

[hard joe]

Make it episodic?

[Haki1112]

No.

[rainslacker]

At this point I would say no, because everyone backed a full game experience. Not a good idea to change the concept with only a few day left...particularly with the hate this KS is already getting.

However, if it had started like that, it's not a bad idea. The game itself is already dived up into chapters, so it could easily be made in episodic form. Not my personal preference, but certainly doable in theory.

[ChrisW]

I am torn between keeping the same graphics and character mapping or going for a 2015 style super-graphics-update.

I know they won't use the same or similar engine as Shenmue II, but it would be pretty nostalgic if they did. Which truly hard-core fans would go gaga over.

[Gazondaily]

You want the exact same visuals from two gens ago? I do not think many fans would go 'gaga' over that at all.

A big part of the appeal of a new Shenmue game (aside from finally completing the story) is the way it would look with current gen tech. If it looks the same as the old gen, expect there to be a big furore, as there should be.

I expect Shenmue to look amazing. The first one was visually spectacular on DC too.

[Irishguy95]

Yeah why the hell not? New consoles and hardware are there to improve...Thats what they are for...

[rainslacker]

From a technical standpoint, I doubt the engine they used is still being used today.

I assume you mean though in terms of presentation, which isn't dependent on the engine. Even if you look at some games that use the same engine...say Frostbite, Unreal, or Unity, they can look wildly different from each other. The aesthetic look of a game, whether realistic, cell shaded, etc, is more dependent on the shaders, textures, and lighting used.

I'd personally prefer it keep a similar feel graphics wise, but have updated models and textures, as well as take advantage of current gen lighting. Shenmue still holds up well after all these years, and the engine they're using is certainly capable of what this game does.

[hangdang]

Wasn't the crowdfunding just to gauge interest in the game? And since it met it's goal Sony said they would fund the game, right? Nobody is actually under the impression that they will make this game with $5million, are they?

[Spotie]

Just use a Google search to figure out how many things you got wrong. I'd lose my cool if I had to explain it all to you.

[rainslacker]

Yes, it was used to gauge interest. It's been reported there are two outside investors who are using KS to gauge interest...likely by investing certain amounts if certain goals are met. Can't remember the name of the one investor(starts with an S), but I'd imagine most of the money they're giving is going toward development of the actual game.

For Sony's part, their investment will be to develop(port) the PS4 version, as well as publish it on the PS4, and if I recall correctly, they will offer marketing support.

[hangdang]

So I wasn't anywhere near as far off as the first reply would leave me to believe

[rainslacker]

Just one of the details was wrong. The one detail in question was Sony's involvement, and that's what a lot of the fuss about the KS was about.

[higgins78]

This game is absolutely destined to 'fail'. Probably it might be a decent game, but coming off the back of the hype, hysteria and ridiculously high expectations, how can it do anything other than feel underwhelming.

[TwoForce]

Oh really ? Shenmue series have never been meet expectations for everyone because this game is for other who like Slow pace and knowledge.

[higgins78]

Huh? I was one of the few who bought both Shemue and Shenmue II day 1. The original blew me away, technically so far ahead of its time, the sequel (while good) less so. All I'm saying is each game in the series *as you state* is too slow paced to appeal to the casuals who covet COD, Uncharted and the GTA's of this world. No guns, violence (serious) or 'mature' themes. I'll look forward to see what is achieved with Shenmue III - but I won't hold my breath.

[TwoForce]

You are just so cynical person.

[DafunkyRebel]

No he's just a realist. After The Last of Us came out, video games have a new standard in story telling and character development. There's is no way Shenmue 3 can capture the same feeling it did back then and now with the new whiny generation of gamers and even the old fans will feel alienated after playing this generation of games for so long.

[TwoForce]

Even I understand that, Shenmue series was face so many issue in the past. Sega don't give a shit about Shenmue franchise. Sega focus too much on Sonic and that cause them so painfully. Even I know Shenmue 3 can't make people please, but at least it's something that fan have wanted for 14 years.

[gangsta_red]

Exactly higgens78. The first two were commercial failures and that was almost over a decade ago. Since then we have seen open world games tell a better story with have more of a focus on fun gameplay.

People are wearing rose tinted nostalgia glasses and are forgetting the many gameplay flaws the first two games had. Boring, repetitious gameplay, fans should be hoping that will change with this new game, not making some excuse of fans just wanting the story to conclude.

This game has very large shoes to fill and I doubt it will achieve it.

[Ult iMate]

Considering the Dreamcast installed base both Shenmue games sold very well.

[TwoForce]

You will never understand the Shenmue community. Even you call them a fanboy, that's fine. But they are way better than you are.

[NerdStalker]

"This game is absolutely destined to 'fail'. Probably it might be a decent game, but coming off the back of the hype, hysteria and ridiculously high expectations, how can it do anything other than feel underwhelming."

Mabye if you haven't heard of or played the originals, the fans are just so happy were finally getting a sequel, that's more than we ever thought we'd see.

[rainslacker]

What do you mean by fail? If you mean financially, it seems that the hype, hysteria, and ridiculously high expectations is what sells games. It's not usually until after they sell that people feel let down, but most of that is their own doing.

In any case, there is at least 2 years for the hype to settle down, for people to get their expectations in check. I think a lot of people who are getting hyped for it now, outside of some, don't know much about the game, but have seen it talked about a lot. I'm sure a lot of people have learned more about Shenmue in the past 4 weeks than they have in the past 4 years.

I do agree with you though that the worst thing that this game will have going against it is that the critics will probably not look at this game from a nostalgic standpoint, and will likely judge it harshly because it's probably not going to be like what most people think of when they think open world. On top of that, it's not really an action packed gaming experience, and a lot of critics seem to not be able to sit more than 10 minutes without killing something or watching an explosion.

I have a feeling that among fans that the game will be well received though. Suzuki is a master at game design. It may not be what a lot of people expect, but it will definitely be unique, and to me, sometimes it's good to have a nice change of pace.

[galgor]

Dunno why they haven't added PayPal as a payment option. Missed opportunity.

Nonetheless, the game's happening and that's all that matters!

[benji101]

I don't know how deep Sony's pockets are... but 5 million is like Devil's third budgets..

[CyrusLemont]

Man, kind of disappointed it's not going to reach all those stretch goals. I hate the idea of 'What could have been'.

[Gazondaily]

I hope the final visuals are far superior to that shown in that work in progress trailer. The way the world in Shenmue works, they can have some super detailed worlds.

[hiredhelp]

I very much like to play shenmue as it once was but brought into modern era visually that would be amazing.

[OptimusC]

Yeah.. this is like pre-pre-pre-pre-alpha. Expect similarity to the art style but with modern programming which will make the world come alive. I have no doubt this game will look much better than what this video portrays.

[rainslacker]

I wouldn't worry about it. Have you ever known Suzuki to not make a good looking game? Most of his career at Sega was spent pushing the Sega platforms to their limits. Plus this is his baby, so I think he wants to do all he can...probably more than he can, but he's going to be limited by budgets this time around. It's kind of crazy to look back and think how much money Sega was willing to invest in the Shenmue project the first time around.

[theshredded]

Shame, I hope it at least surpasses bloodstained and become the most funded game on kickstarter

[jay2]

I don't like how this game is going to be, if it's not even going to be an openworld like the others and its a 10mill goal to achieve this, what the hell is this going to be! very worried about the end product even with the 5mill we've given them.

[Gazondaily]

Lmao the Youtube comment regarding the camera's choice of panning is brilliant. Great backstory confirmed!

[MeteorPanda]

it's not reaching a stretch goal at 4 mil...you guys remember what their original goal was right? they reached that at the end of E3

[S2Killinit]

Exactely, some people just want to complain. The kickstarter is one of the most successful kickstarters in history.

[deathtok]

Looks great... if they're lucky they'll close out around $6m but probably short of that. Bloodstained was in this territory last month!

[deathtok]

Are these trolling disagrees or something? Oh, fanboys...

[Macdaddy71]

I'm not a fan of the game!!! But glad they are making it for the ones that are... It better be a Great game as much as they are pumping it up.. Also funny how they just started kickstart at E3 n already have a trailer for the game... Sounds like they happen plans to make it before they stole gamers money!!! In no way a fan of kickstart

[pwnsause_returns]

You're pretty much preordering the game...how is that stealing.....

[Bytor]

I wouldn't worry about anything the work this guy already put into this would probably show up as 20 million on an Activision or EA budget sheet.

[Jag-T1000]

Since this is not coming to Xbox one I don't have to contribute.

[SaveFerris]

There is a chance it could be ported from PC to Xbox One later on. I think Yu Suzuki would be open to that.

[FYIIR]

This game will be made with the intentions of minimum sales. Sony ain't stupid

[Vormison]

Less than 30 days into the development of a game that has close to 3 years left and everyone is already judging the final product...okay.

There are, however, valid reasons for what some people believe is a lack of interest.

It's on a Sony console. A console that many ex-Dreamcast fans haven't purchased since the release of the Dreamcast for many reasons. Also, many gamers who played Shenmue when it came out are no longer as involved in keeping up with gaming news.

It's more than obvious that Yu Suzuki has no interest in pandering the right trigger pulling gaming fans of today - this may be to a fault. However, us Shenmue fans are in for a real treat no matter what.

[carmelo43]

is the only way to get a physical copy of the game is to back up the project?

[DangerousDAN]

Yup. I believe so.

[carmelo43]

Ok thanks, so shouldn't thr number be higher an what about the digital copy is it also threw backer

[DangerousDAN]

@carmelo43

The digital copy will eventually be available to everyone once the game is released, but you can reserve it now by backing the project. It's not exclusive to backers.

I agree that the number should be higher on the physical copy reward, but it took them a while to add that option. I guess people had already made their pledges for the digital copy and just didn't/couldn't up their pledge.

[kenwonobi]

This game could help redefine how other future games are made. I love that Shenmue is this game being made this way.

[MWH]

I'm starting to have mixed feelings about the quality of the project. on one hand; Yu Suzuki is a gaming staple known for many innovative games and consistent quality in every aspect.

on the other hand; Shenmue, and inspirational gaming experience almost perfect in every way especially the visuals. I see these videos and I'm worried about the visual quality and consequently other aspects of the game.

people will argue that this is still a pre-Alpha, yes I know and I will not make any further arguments but I hope that this is just it, a pre-Alpha, and that they are releasing them just to keep things warm.

Shenmue is especially dear to gamers who have played it and wandered in its marvelously detailed world. it has to be treated carefully on a micro level and with utmost respect to every detail specifically the characters design, they must be faithful to the original material.

for example in one of the pictures I see a different Lan Di with a stupid smirk on his face. Lan Di is cold and emotionless, there's something about him that induces fear and awe at the same time, we don't want to just kill him in a cliché and tired act, no.. we want to know him, we need to know him. this is a part of what makes Shenmue a beautiful gaming experience, a true deep character development that you care about even the villains.

I have faith in Suzuki.

we will see.

[DangerousDAN]

Dude, they haven't really started on the game yet. These videos look like they used the same models from the e3 reveal. It's just something to keep us excited. A year from now, if the game still looks like this, then be worried, but not now. Way too early to feel anything for real, man. Let's give it a year of development.

[MWH]

I'm not disagreeing with you DAN and I'm not arguing about this as I clearly expressed. it's just a thought and healthy message to keep the devs on their toes.

as you can see, I'm a passionate Shenmue fan.

[WonderboyIII]

Agreed. Shenmue comes with allot of weight. These videos look like an indie's attempt at remaking Shenmue.

[S2Killinit]

so sad to see so many people trying to shoot down Shenmue of all games. I guess fanboyism has no bounds whatsoever. Shenmue should be above the bs. but alas.

[CuddlyREDRUM]

Sony has said they are going to back the production and marketing regardless. This is basically preordering a game a few years in advance with a blank check.

[Vanfernal]

It's sad that this kickstarter lost all momentum thanks to a smear campaign by haters.

[jznrpg]

I better throw down my 60 tonight

[Dan_scruggs]

It blows my mind that people continue to be impressed by these amateur hour trailers.

[Man_Marmalade]

The music sounds just like the Legend of Dragoon OST and it sounds amazing.

[ReelBigMike]

Anyone else find it weird that at 0:09 they just zoom in on her ass for no reason?

But seriously, I've waited literally half of my life for Shenmue III to come out. Any news is the best news at this point.

[Scatpants]

Is it for continuity that they are making it look as crappy as the Dreamcast games or is that an accident?